Support county’s homeless population, reflect on those we lost

National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day took place earlier this month. It is a day to remember and honor those who died while experiencing homelessness. It takes place annually on the first day of winter and the longest night of the year.

This year has been a particularly difficult one for obvious reasons, but especially so for people without homes living on the streets.

A few weeks ago, a woman who was experiencing homelessness was found dead underneath Highway 101 in Central Marin. I write this with her family’s blessing. I knew her well, and knew that many people in our system of care tried to and did help her over the years. Unfortunately, a diagnosis of severe mental illness made her psychosis staggeringly debilitating.

She grew up in Marin, with what all would consider a “good family.” She went to Tamalpais High School and then Stanford as a swim recruit. She was the picture of success and seemed to have the world in the palm of her hand.

In her mid-20s, mental illness began to take hold. It is the cruel reality of psychotic disorders: People in their 20s, in the prime of life, about to launch into adulthood, instead have a psychotic break that often plunges them into a deep, dark hole with no bottom.

This woman was in and out of mental health and various treatment programs but was essentially homeless for decades despite her own best efforts and the support of those who understood her situation.

One weekend after her death, I went to the Village at Corte Madera and drove across the overpass where she was found. I parked in the shopping mall lot and observed the cars — Audis, BMWs, Teslas all bright and shiny. I walked to the campsite where she died, in the shadow of this bastion of wealth and abundance.

Her campsite is about a half mile from the new Project Homekey motel, which will be turned into permanent supportive housing for individuals who are homeless. The project was approved despite complaints from many in the community. People often complain about homeless camps, but also don’t want housing to get them out of camps. The cruel irony of this hit me like a wave in that moment.

In Marin County we have made great progress in getting people into housing. In fact, in the 2019 point-in- time count, Marin had a 28% decrease in the number of chronically homeless individuals. This is in marked contrast to other Bay Area counties which saw increases. Individuals in Marin who have been housed in permanent supportive housing have a 93% retention rate. Those that fall out, get another opportunity in a different unit that is better suited to their needs. We keep trying until we find the right fit.

Despite this positive movement in the right direction, we can do more. We can support housing opportunities such as Homekey. We can support the organizations that are doing heroic work housing people — Homeward Bound of Marin, Ritter Center and St. Vincent de Paul Society. We can try to understand the plight of people who are still living outdoors. They are members of our community with families of their own.

This holiday, I ask that you keep people living outdoors — as well as their families — in your thoughts. National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and also a day of ref lection on how we, as individuals and as a community, can better support people as they suffer from homelessness and mental illness.